Valen remained where she was for a moment longer than necessary, her chest rising and falling unevenly as she forced her breathing back under control, her hand still lingering faintly at her throat where the pressure of Kaelvryn's grip had nearly stolen her life.
The leader of the Ashenclaw pack stood there without tension, his gaze still fixed on Kaelvryn's unconscious body.
Valen's eyes hardened, "you... move quickly," she said, her voice steady despite the weight beneath it as she regained her composure.
The man did not seem offended nor impressed, "not quickly enough," he replied calmly, his tone even as his gaze shifted briefly toward Kaelvryn's body. "Another few seconds, and you would not be standing."
Valen did not react, "I would have managed," she said, though her tone carried a quiet edge.
The Ashenclaw leader tilted his head slightly, studying her in a way that felt more like assessment than curiosity.
